The Good Wife “Dramatics, Your Honor” Reaction

I have been watching The Good Wife ever since it first started airing. I have been in love with the show all this time and have watched with equal parts awe and trepidation.

The awe was at the sheer intelligence of a show that keeps giving me material to think about and the writers’ ability to consistently make me laugh. The trepidation was a result of the sad belief that eventually, like so many other shows, it will one day finally fail to do so.

But that day still seemed far off. When Alicia Florrick (Julianna Margulies) left the firm to start her own with Cary Agos (Matt Czuchry), I was ecstatic. We’ve already seen her and Will have their romance. Having her remain at the firm was just risking the affair starting up again (the main incentive, viewers were led to believe, why the character left).

The fact is, the show is called “The Good Wife”. Having her run off into the sunset with Will Gardner (much as we might have enjoyed it) was just plainly never going to happen. A new direction had to be set for the series and having them become enemies seemed as good a plan as any.

Then another “uh, oh” moment came to me when they started reconciling. Were the writers really going to ruin the new-found status quo by reverting back to an old plot? I was so ready to be disappointed and comforted myself with the fact that there were other so many interesting characters with new relationships (finally!) coming together that will keep the show interesting (i.e. Eli/Natalie, Kalinda/Cary).

I feel so humbled now that I had underestimated The Good Wife writers so. I always knew they were good. Fabulous, even. But I never knew how good they were.

Just when I started worrying that Will and Alicia’s romance will start up again, they went and killed off Will’s character.

Will Gardner is dead.

This decision, which stemmed after Josh Charles informed the show runners he was leaving the series, was pure genius. In fact, I’ll go as far as to thank Mr. Charles for inciting it.

No words can express how utterly excited I am to see the affect his character’s death will have on the other players. When faced with a decision to get rid of the character, Robert and Michelle King went with the one that most made sense. Simply put, it’s the most interesting. Also, it conveniently solves Peter Florrick’s legal problem while creating a perhaps much bigger, more personal one for him.

How will Alicia react? How will Diane, Kalinda, and every other character who loved and respected Will Gardner?

I don’t know. But I sure as heck can’t wait to find out. Rest in peace, Will Gardner. You were a freaking awesome lawyer, passionate lover, and loyal friend. And no one can ever have as beautifully brooding eyes as you can. But you died defending a client you liked, whom you believed to be innocent, and whose mental capacities finally went to pieces during his trial. Like a soldier who wishes to die in battle, you died in the courtroom. In the arms of an opposing lawyer, no less, who tried to save your life (the wonderful Matthew Goode as Finn Polmar).

Can there be a better, more honorable, or original ending for a major character?

I doubt it.

Click here to read Robert and Michelle King’s letter to The Good Wife fans regarding their decision. I agree with absolutely everything they said. More than that, I respect their utter transparency and loyalty to fans in sharing their thoughts. This is class, people.

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